Mapping Operations Lead

Technical Lead For Mapping TeamApplied Intuition is seeking a technical lead to drive the day-to-day operations of our mapping team. Maps serve as a foundational interface with autonomous vehicle perception, planning, and localization systems.This is a hands-on leadership role at the intersection of data collection, map production, validation, simulation, and field operations. You'll own the production schedule, lead first-line triage of map and data issues, and serve as the connective tissue between mapping specialists, software engineering, and field operations teams. The right person thrives in a high-throughput environment, brings deep technical judgment, and knows how to keep a team organized and unblocked. You will directly impact AV stack performance.This is an excellent opportunity for professionals with a background in high definition (HD) map creation who are comfortable with technical workflows, iterative feedback cycles, and real-time prioritization in a startup environment.At Applied Intuition, You Will:Lead a team of mapping specialists, setting priorities, managing workloads, and maintaining a clear production schedule across concurrent map build and update cyclesOwn the weekly and sprint-level production calendar — balancing incoming requests for mapping new areas, improving map quality, and supporting field testsRun daily standups and triage sessions; escalate blockers quickly and make real-time prioritization decisions based on operational impact to keep the pipeline movingMentor specialists, conduct technical reviews of their work, and establish standards for map labeling, QC, acceptance criteria, and documentationServe as the primary escalation point for map data issues flagged during map production, validation, or by downstream consumers, including initial triage, creating actionable followup tasks, and routing to maps and engineering teams for resolutionBuild and maintain a triage playbook so the team can classify and resolve common issues consistently and quicklyCoordinate with engineers to validate HD map accuracy in simulation environments and close gaps before map releasesClose the loop with operations and safety teams so field feedback quickly improves map coverage and qualityWe're Looking For Someone Who Has:3+ years of experience in HD map production, geospatial data operations, or a closely related field in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or mobilityDemonstrated experience leading or coordinating a team of technical contributors — you don't need a formal management title, but you know how to organize people around a shared workflowStrong understanding of HD map data formats (e.g., OpenDRIVE, NDS, or proprietary lane-level map schemas) and annotation pipelines to label map elementsExperience working with point cloud data, 3D visualization environments, or lidar-based annotation toolsFamiliarity with simulation environments (e.g., CARLA, LGSVL, or internal sim stacks) and how map data feeds into sim validationExperience analyzing field reports or sensor data to identify map quality issuesComfort with data tooling — SQL, C++, Python, QGIS, or similar — for pulling reports, querying map data, and building dashboards. AI skills a strong plus.Excellent written and verbal communication; able to translate technical issues clearly for both specialists and cross-functional partnersOrganized, calm under pressure, and energized by the pace of production operations.Nice To Have:Experience with LiDAR point clouds and camera-based feature extractionExperience with standard definition (SD) street network dataBackground in AV safety operations or working alongside safety driversFamiliarity with JIRA or similar tools for tracking production backlogs and Slack for real time communicationPrior experience defining or improving QA/QC standards in a mapping teamConfident working across time zonesCompensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.Don't meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.